Trevor Kalinowsky is focused on client and lender relations and developing and managing all aspects of social performance on natural resource projects. Trevor brings a cross-cultural, pragmatic approach to social impact, risk, and opportunity assessment and management informed by experience in 15+ countries and tested in multiple sectors. He works hand in hand with lenders, corporate offices and site teams to study the project context, identify pragmatic solutions, and develop efficient mitigations that comply with lender standards, and build community acceptance.

Trevor’s recent projects include developing social performance standards and guidance for two major mining companies, providing technical leadership for resettlement implementation at an oil and gas project in Uganda, and supporting a client in rural Vietnam to design and implement all aspects of a compliant social management system at a 9 billion USD refinery construction project. Trevor meets regularly with international finance institutions in Europe on behalf of MFC to discuss the latest trends and issues in social performance, including regular participation at OECD ECA and DFI Practitioners Group meetings.

Trevor is a specialist with MFC, where he supports partnership development and client outreach functions from his home in Budapest, Hungary.

A social performance specialist with more than 15 years’ experience, Neyza establishes social management systems and builds national team capacity to work to international standards. With a deep track record of effectively advising senior corporate management on social risks and issues, she helps social performance teams build strategic partnerships with stakeholders to build broad community support and acceptance.

Neyza’s experience in large-scale projects in Africa, Asia, and Europe has given her a thorough understanding of the unique cultural characteristics and social dynamics that support creating effective engagement strategies that work for companies and communities in local contexts. Her expertise includes designing effective social management systems that are fit-for-purpose, have robust reporting and documentation of company-community interactions and that create transparency and trust.

Neyza’s people skills, combined with her extensive project resourcing experience, underpins her effective project management of MFC’s implementation support services in complex environments. She also supports MFC’s work on due diligence reviews of conformance with IFC PS, WB ESS, EBRD Performance Requirements, among others. Neyza is based in the Philippines.

With over 25 years working with communities undergoing complex social change, Gary MacDonald is at the vanguard of social performance management.

Combining line management experience on billion-dollar mega-projects with multinational director-level experience, Gary brings a proven field-to-boardroom perspective to MFC’s social performance management practice.

Drawing on more than a decade as one of the leading social assessors of extractive and agro-forestry projects, Gary oversees MFC’s assessment practice as it guides investors and managers through the international social performance standards that opens access to funding.

His experience resolving community-project conflict prompted his involvement in groundbreaking UN Global Compact work on conflict and revenue transparency. As a thought leader and public speaker, he constantly pushes the boundaries of the social performance community of practice; his deft touch brings in skeptics and creates space for dialogue. He is one of MFC’s principals and founders.

An international consultant with more than 20 years’ multi-sector experience in social performance, Sylvie specializes in stakeholder engagement and communications. She has worked in North America, Europe and over a dozen African countries. Known for providing support that is strategic yet pragmatic, she often helps on-site teams align programming with international standards and good practice in challenging environments.

Sylvie’s implementation experience spans due diligence assessments and risk analysis to management planning, through to implementation and capacity-building. She has helped teams succeed in mining, nature conservation, agri-business,  forestry, oil & gas, electric power and renewables. As well, she brings deep experience in reputation management, media relations and crisis communications, including in non-profit organizations.

A Canadian citizen and resident, Sylvie is natively bilingual in English and French.

Over the last 20 years, Diane has managed and implemented integrated programs focused on health, education, employment and capacity building with affected populations to support their return to sustainable and resilient livelihoods.  Focused on the more-vulnerable, these programs involved extensive interface with internal and external stakeholders to help minimize or manage related risks on the corporate risk register.

Working in French, Spanish and English across the private, humanitarian and development sectors, Diane has led finance, human resources, and administration departments to ensure compliance with international standards, national legislation and standard operating procedures. Her familiarity with work and labour conditions in Africa, SE Asia and the Americas serves her well as a human resources advisor, including on due diligence and start-up work related to IFC Performance Standard 2.

A former risk & insurance professional, her background in contract review and risk transfer on large, international projects underpins much of her work in developing economies, emergency, and hardship contexts.

For two decades, Nick has worked with companies, communities, governments and multi-lateral institutions on business, conflict, and human rights in fragile and high-risk areas, as well as on how they can effectively implement the SDGs. He has worked at conceptual, policy and practical levels and has produced extensive written guidance on how companies can navigate complex social challenges, including From Red to Green Flags: the corporate responsibility to respect human rights in high-risk countries and; Conflict-Sensitive Business Practice: Guidance for the Extractive Industry. He has deep experience promoting change through multi-stakeholder forums such as the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and, at a practical level, has worked on social and community issues in countries worldwide.  He was part of the Independent Panel reviewing Cerrejon Coal in Colombia and has developed numerous projects designed to support businesses in addressing social, economic and political challenges.

Nick’s background is in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. He is a former Research Fellow at the Institute for Human Rights and Business.

Riaan uses data collection and analysis to tailor programs to specific community or individual needs, helping build foundations for strong management systems that address project risks and impacts.

For more than 10 years, working hand in hand with local consultants and organization representatives, he has developed and implemented social performance programs in-line with internationally accepted good practice and standards in complex rural environments, particularly in Africa.

Founded on numerous environmental and social impact assessments and resettlement and livelihood planning and implementation projects in Africa and the Middle East, his data-collection experience fuels systematic solutions to complex data collection and management problems. Based in South Africa, Riaan works in Afrikaans and English.

For the last 16 years, Thalia has worked at the nexus of infrastructure, communities and the environment in emerging economies, particularly for the safeguarding and enhancement of livelihoods.

During her engineering degree, she started her career as CEO of the UK youth-led charity Engineers Without Borders UK, with a focus on small-scale technological and organisational solutions for livelihood support of rural communities.

She continued this effort working for NGOs such as Practical Action UK and HEDON on off-grid energy solutions, and then entered academia at Cambridge University, conducting global research on environmental and social standards in engineering for FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers.

She then moved into the consulting sector where she worked as a project manager, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) or social impact specialist for EBRD, EU and WB-financed projects. She project managed assignments in Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Romania and Turkey, on the themes of accessible transport infrastructure, EMS development, cultural heritage and water network management, and acted as a social specialist for an airport terminal development in Tajikistan.

As an M&E advisor, she led INGO evaluations on menstrual health in Nepal, agricultural livelihoods in Ethiopia and youth-led entrepreneurship in Romania.With MFC, Thalia has acted as M&E Advisor on a multi-year resettlement programme under the Tilenga project in Uganda.

She also project managed an ESDD study for a conservation project in West Papua, and is currently a project coordinator and specialist on a multi-year Independent Environmental and Social Consultant (IESC) assignment on behalf of lenders for a large airport development in the Philippines.

Thalia holds an MEng in Mechanical Engineering, an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, and an MBA.

Terra is a technical writer based in Portugal who has communication and research expertise in the public health, conservation, and international development sectors. Terra works with national and international technical experts to build MFC documents.

Nilo brings a multisector approach to social performance management at mega-projects in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

For Nilo, community development programs must work hand-in-hand with natural resource management to deliver social acceptance for a company or project and to meet community aspirations.

Jorge is a seasoned security expert with practical experience in implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and helping companies come into compliance with IFC Performance Standard 4 – Security.

He works with MFC and its clients to develop security training programs, undertake security risk assessments, develop security management plans, and provide technical assistance to companies to implement and monitor their security management system. Jorge served a decade in the Honduran army as an infantry officer, Security Detail Officer to the President of Honduras, Special Detail (VIP) First Special Forces Battalion, and as Platoon Leader, XI Infantry Battalion and liaison officer for the U.S. Army Engineer Battalion.

Following his military career, Jorge worked in senior security positions in private businesses and as Director of the Strategic Intelligence Center to the Presidential Palace and Chief Security Advisor to former President of Honduras Mr. Ricardo Maduro. Fluent in English and with Bachelor Degrees both in Business Administration and Military Science, Jorge brings a deep understanding of security issues combined with an understanding of the drivers of business and security issues affecting communities. He is based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Vladimir has over 20 years of experience in environmental consulting in the southern Africa region. He has led numerous oil and gas impact assessment studies in Angola and took part in several IFC-based studies. Through these he has been responsible for stakeholder engagement, capacity building as well as public consultation meetings.

Vladimir has provided support to significant projects for the private and public sectors, including in the areas of oil and gas, energy, climate change and urban development, among others. A respected leader in regulatory processes as well as environmental expertise in Angola, he provided consultancy services for UNDP, UNEP, IUCN, SADC, SARDC, SAIEA, OKACOM, ZAMCOM and other international institutions working in southern Africa.

Chin is a Certified Public Accountant with more than 18 years’ experience in finance and accounting practices working with multinational companies. As MFC’s Chief Accountant, Chin provides daily financial oversight to the company’s financial records using international accounting standards to facilitate pragmatic decision making for stakeholders and directors.

With a deep knowledge of end-to-end accounting cycles, financial planning and risk analysis, profitability and cash-flow scenarios, subsidiary accounting, intercompany accounting, inventory accounting, period-end close, Chin is MFC’s contact point with external auditors and tax accountants and helps organizations review or develop and implement internal accounting controls and policies. A strong team player, Chin helps create and maintain MFC’s good working relationships with clients worldwide.